Eagle Summit II

Conserving this Nation’s fish and other aquatic resources cannot be successful without the partnership of Tribes; they manage or influence some of the most important aquatic habitats both on and off reservations. In addition, the Federal government and the Service have distinct and unique obligations toward Tribes based on trust responsibility, treaty provisions, and statutory mandates.

Oglala Sioux Tribe and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) hosted Eagle Summit II in Rapid City, South Dakota, on May 2, 2011. Over 100 Tribal Council members, Fish and Game Directors, Cultural Resource Directors and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers from 29 tribes and a few federal agencies’ staff members participated in the event.

The agenda items included: opening session that included a report on actions taken by the Service since the first Eagle Summit, a variety of law enforcement issues, draft Eagle Guidelines for Wind Energy, a working lunch featuring a traditional speaker, non-eagle feather repositories, eagle aviaries, small groups discussions, and closing remarks. There was a booth staffed with people from the National Eagle Repository and the Region 6 Permits office to provide information and answer individuals’ questions that do not pertain to the entire audience.

The theme, goal and objectives for Eagle Summit II were:

Theme: To Protect Bald and Golden Eagles while Allowing Native American Uses and Preserving the Species for Future Generations.

Goal: To continue to Improve communication and understanding about eagles between the Tribes served by Region 6 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by discussing topics of mutual interest and identifying issues needing resolution.

Objective 1: To identify areas where Tribes and the Service can improve within their bureaucracies with regard to eagles.

Background: In 2009, Region 6 of the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) met with Tribes individually and in small groups to discuss two proposed permits--one to take eagles and one to take eagle nests. During these meetings, discussions with the Tribes many times expanded to other topics, such as legal feather possession, National Eagle Repository process, law enforcement investigations. These issues were forwarded to the decision-makers within the Service for follow-up. In spring, 2010, the Director of the Service wrote to the Tribes, addressing many of these concerns.

In March 2010, the Service held the first Eagle Summit in Denver, Colorado, to provide more information on eagle-related topics to the Tribes served by Region 6. At this meeting, many asked for a continuation of the discussions and for Tribal involvement in the planning process. Regional Director Steve Guertin agreed. All Tribes served by Region 6 received a transcript of the meeting. The issues raised were compiled and forwarded to the appropriate decision-makers for follow-up.

In addition to the Planning Team, 21 persons were invited to be on a Tribal Advisory Committee. Of these, 13 accepted the invitation. The Advisory Committee received queries from the Planning Team requesting advice on a number of topics, including but not limited to goals for Eagle Summit II, date and location, and topics to be discussed. The Planning Team then considered their advice when making final decisions about the daylong Eagle Summit II.